WEA courses

With the decline of the old Hollywood studio system, a new generation of film makers, many of them exposed to international cinema at film school, expressed themselves on screen with individual voices and a counter culture attitude. Key to this selection of films is the notion of a ‘crisis of public myth’ echoed throughout this period – just who are the heroes and who are the villains? We examine better known and continually highly acclaimed films such as Cool Hand Luke, was it just recycling the chain gang film or doing something more? The Outlaw Josey Wales as an example of the ‘Revisionist Western’ which came out of this period with its differing representation of the people and events of the Old West as previously seen in Classic Hollywood. The Last American Hero arguably questioning youthful attitudes, the law, freedom and the concept of the popular ‘folk heroes’ in a modern corporate world. Cult favourite, The Swimmer offering an example of more unusual comment on materialism, a crisis of national identity and more. With the Blues Brothers serving as an example a film carrying the New Hollywood baton in its attitude and approach after the blockbusters of the mid 1970s, mixing genres in a more comedic, musical and anti-realist style. All promoting knowledge of the subject matter and enthusiasm for film in general. Cool Hand Luke (1967), The Last American Hero (1973), The Swimmer (1968), The Blues Brothers (1980), The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)

When you’re studying maths at school, it’s sometimes hard to see how you’ll use the skills in real life. All it takes is for someone to explain that ratios help you compare the prices of different products, percentages are used to split bills, and multiplication and division help you set a monthly budget. When you learn in context, it’s easy to see how functional maths is. This Functional Skills Maths Level 2 course is designed using real-life examples to help you improve your maths skills. If you find it easier to learn maths with practical examples, this is the course for you. Functional Skills qualifications are free if you don't already have a GCSE in English or Maths at grades A*-C, or 4-9. We'll check your level and any previous qualifications before you start. This ensures you are on the correct course.

Develop foundational reading skills with this entry 1 English course for beginners. This English course is for speakers of other languages. It will help you learn basic English to study, work, and live in the UK. This ESOL reading course helps people who are just starting to learn English. It will help you gain confidence reading short texts and common words in English. There are also writing and speaking & listening courses at this level. If you’re helping others access ESOL classes in the UK, you’ve come to the right place. What we’ll cover: - Learn to identify common English words in everyday situations. - Understand signs, symbols and texts you will come across. - Read information about timetables, prices, and schedules. - Understand the purpose of different texts, including adverts, posters, and news articles. - Understand how punctuation is used to help you read more easily.

This course is designed for you to develop your creative side and use your previous clay hand-building techniques to progress to an intermediate level, plus a chance explore the different decorative styles working with Clay. By the end of the course you should have lots of different pottery pieces and different pottery skills. You will be in a group with others and led by a talented Arts and Crafts tutor. Your work will be taken away and fired in a kiln by the tutor and it will be yours to keep!

This FREE Sugar Craft course is designed to introduce you to the art of creating beautiful and intricate designs using sugar. Whether you are a beginner or looking to refine your skills, this course covers a wide range of techniques and provides hands-on experience to help you master sugar craft. Course will include the basics of sugar craft including the different types of sugar and edible materials to create your decorations. You will also cover the materials an tools required to create your beautiful decorations.

In 1989, the songwriter Billy Joel was told by a friend that “Things are different today. You were a kid in the fifties, and everybody knows that nothing happened in the fifties.” As a result, he wrote ‘We didn’t start the fire’ to highlight how the post-war decades shaped the world we live in today. Join us for this fascinating 6 week course where you will look at the crucial events that occurred between 1940 and 1972 in USA and reflect about their significance back then as well as how it translates into today’s society.

In this course, we will discuss in detail works from lesser-known painters of the Renaissance era. Since the High Renaissance is much better known, we will look at artists from the fifteenth century, who were very highly thought of at the time. They were influential and sought-after by the powerful in Florence.

For Charles Dickens, writing and worrying went hand in hand. His books were knitted together out of his own anxieties and struggles. And yet, despite the weight of all these worries, his novels are never depressing. To read Dickens is to glimpse the possibilities of new life. We all probably intend to read Dickens ‘one day.’ We all know his characters from various films and TV adaptations, so perhaps the time has finally come to get stuck into a major work. On this eight-week course we will read ‘Little Dorrit.’ We will also study some of Dickens's essays, short stories, and letters. You may already be a Dickens enthusiast, or a complete newcomer to his work. Either way, I hope that you will join us to explore a writer whose books still have the power to move and enlighten us today.

Polish your verbal communication skills in English. This ESOL level 2 course teaches you advanced speaking and listening skills. Learning to speak eloquently can open doors to work and study options in the UK. This ESOL course builds on skills you learnt at level 1. Perfect your listening skills in English while practising conversation techniques. This is an English course for adults. It is aimed at speakers of other languages. ESOL classes are divided into three areas: reading, writing, and speaking & listening. If you’re helping others access ESOL courses in the UK, you’ve come to the right place.

Build on your communication skills with this ESOL speaking and listening course. This English course for adults is aimed at speakers of other languages. It will help you improve your speaking and listening skills to communicate better in English. Entry 2 ESOL courses are right for you if you have basic speaking and listening skills in English. This course will help you gain confidence to speak about everyday topics and improve your comprehension. There are also reading and writing courses at this level. If you’re helping others access ESOL classes in the UK, you’ve come to the right place.